940.5318 The Diary of Anne Frank: A Classic Retold

On April 11, 2010, Holocaust Remembrance Day, PBS and Masterpiece Theater will present a new version of the classic coming-of-age story The Diary of Anne Frank.

Click on the picture for access to a video preview.

The Great Books Foundation, a partner with WGBH, has created and gathered together all kinds of support materials to use in conjunction with this new production and the Holocaust in general.

One of the most interesting things is a VoiceThread where students, teachers, and others can go in and comment on the production and project. Voice Thread has given free access to this sample, but there is a registration involved to make comments.

Ciick HERE to go to VoiceThread.

Here is another brief preview through YouTube .

In researching this new production, I also came across the only know movie of Anne Frank herself. It is a brief few seconds of her in an upper window watching her neighbor's wedding departure. There is no sound!

And of course , with the recent death of Miep Gies (at age 100), the last survivor of the real-life members of the history-making event, there has been renewed interest in the story and will likely spill over to the new production. Here is a portion of an interview where she talks about the diary and giving it to Anne's father.

In our district, the book and the time period have always studied and discussed on several levels so we have some long-time resources that also will probably come to the forefront again with this new production. Check our "cool new"catalog for other resources.

The message remains timeless.

641.8 Cookies: 'Tis the Season!

So many choices! So little time! I see math problems, maybe? Tie in with When the Doorbell Rang?

P.S. There are lots more seasonal activities that can be used for a variety of reasons.

428.1 FreeRice: Practice Vocabulary & Contribute...Multitasking At Its Best

At FreeRice, practice (and at the same time, learn) vocabulary and, as a big bonus, contribute to funds to help with world hunger issues.

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For every correct answer, ten grains of rice are donated to United Nations efforts to end world hunger. Needless to say, you won't be able to stop after just 10 grains. As you make correct word choices, the bowl fills up to make bundles of 100 grains.

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Your vocabulary level is measured by your right and wrong answers. The number of people who miss the same words also affects the leveling. Good language arts activity.

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Contributing...good community member.

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What else?

Math...use the statistics available to do some "real-world" math.

Geography...use the maps and information about the countries involved.

Social Studies...ALL the information about the social issues, history, etc. about the problem of world hunger and poverty.

Even Science...health issues, food production

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More information. Short video about the program from the director of the UN food program.

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Now I just hope it opens in the district!

428.007 Using Technology with ESL Students: It Can Be Fun

I worked with some teachers of ESL and LEP students after school today. I had been invited to show them how to use some of our online resources and some technology to aid in improving the students' English. We looked at things across the curriculum---lots for reading and things like vocabulary-building, but we also looked at several things helpful for social studies, science and math.

We took content samples from our subscription databases including Facts on File, Teaching Books, Tumblebooks, Discovery Education videostreaming and worked in PowerPoint. Not that we produced slideshows, but we looked at how users can use visuals...be they clipart, photos, maps, etc. and manipulate them for use in PPTs and other things. The participants also found out how easy it is to download and use pieces of videostreaming.

One of the things I also emphasize in this type of staff development is to look "outside the box"... think about how a historical photo can be used to teach word meanings or use a science video to explain a particular idiom. And my favorite part...using picture books to introduce a concept or ideas for end products the students can create themselves!


Another idea that came out was that by including lots of visuals and silly bits of video, a teacher will have captured the attention of his or her students so that even MORE learning can take place. Our kids are visual learners these days and it is a shame not use as much "stuff" as possible.

And yes, we had an oops moment...something to always expect when working with technology. You gotta learn to roll with the punches. What was our oops?...the screen shot I made would NOT paste to the PPT so we could manipulate it. That was a first for me! But that's ok..we still practiced with the crop tool and the grouping technique and turned our "pretend" screen shots into the weirdest new bird---a wingless chicken with a Sphinx head! Names anyone?

One other thing I did...I challenged the group to "play" 15 minutes a day...mess around in an online resource, play with PPT tools, READ blogs (yep---showed them the blogroll!), but do SOMETHING with technology or explore an online resource EVERY day. Sounds simple enough, but I know...even 15 minutes will be hard to squeeze out of the days of most of these people...their plates are very full...but it WILL be worth it...they will benefit...and more importantly, so will their students!

How did we end this action-packed day? Animoto of course!
Sample: http://animoto.com/play/a6df2b2069bf9260b24c6c822387db3a
(I can't get it to embed!!)

I hope some of the participants will share their classroom ideas here in the comments...

...and you know what else...these things will work with ALL students!

028.5 Author Visit: Bringing a Bluebonnet to Life

Several schools in my sphere of influence enjoyed a visit from Obert Skye, author of one of this year's Bluebonnet nominees, Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo.



The book is a fantasy of the adventures of an Oklahoma kid named Leven and a neglected girl known as Winter Frore as they travel to the magical land of Foo.
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Part of the author's message included what he called secrets... Have Courage - Think Big - Be Great.
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He talked a lot about the writing process and especially the concept of brainstorming that one librarian reported was so important to the teachers present...they had been working on that very thing in class and how great to have it emphasized by the popular author. He also talked to the students about writing a draft and then improving on it.

Not even surprise visitors (plastic cockroaches!) could take the students attention away!

There was plenty of other fun, too...Skye held a game show and the students enthusiastically answered all of the questions correctly...they new the details of the story!...and won coveted T-shirts, etc. He signed books...personal copies and library copies, too. Some students enjoyed themselves so much, they wre making plans to visit the bookstore where he was appearing Friday night!

027.8 Collaboration: Popping Up Everywhere

In checking out a new resource (to me), Teaching PreK-8, look what I spied in the menu.

What a great idea!

Nice group of activities and lessons in many other categories as well!

025.1 School Library Administrators: Always Learning Day 2, Part 3

Nancy Kubasek, Richardson High School, Richardson ISD, has come to speak about some ways to use books to create a culture of readers and a reading community thru readers' advisory and paired readings...in collaboration with the teachers. She gave us a nice list of YA titles that you will recognize.

She also gave a out a list of 13 booktalking hooks...they are not unique ideas, but it was nice to have them all in one place to review and reflect upon again.

She reminded us about 3-strike rule...if a kid is not connected with a book by three times in the library, he/she won't ask again for help!

From the book Swimming Upstream, a poetry book, she read and commented on the poem about the School Librarian. She replaces "school librarian" with her name!

Books that she is booktalking:
The Red Thread by Townley-- reincarnation, terrible dreams, past lives, a murder 400 yrs. old.

Runner by Deuker -- Chance, a runner who wants to go to college & gets a chance at some easy money. [ a review from Muller in the Middle blog, good place to read about books!]

Desert Crossing by Broach-- 3 friends on a road trip hit something with their car...a body of a girl is on the road. There is a bracelet involved also.

Hand of the Devil by Carter-- Ganges Red, the largest mosquito in the world is featured on the cover. Involves a hole full of body parts [ok JB, I think this is your book.]

Silent Room by Sorrels-- isolation room, a hood over your head, a breathing apparatus is hooked up to you and you are left there until you sign "the papers."...or die!

Dragon's Keep by Carey-- wears gold gloves to cover up deformed hand (one dragon's claw)...if you see it, you have to die. [author interview from Cynsations blog, another good place to read about books]

Peeps by Westerfield-- disgusting and gross! [author podcast]

Masquerade by de la Cruz--vampires!!! and the blue veins in their arms [BL, here's one for you!]

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Craft

Right Behind You by Giles-- psychological thriller. Would you kill for a baseball glove? "I set Bobby on fire..."

Buried by MacCready--post it notes

Harmless by Reinhardt-- telling lies

Another program of hers is Classic and Contemporary Connections: Paired Readings
It is geared towards librarians and language arts teachers--collaboration is a MUST with this program. Teachers wanted to solve the "tired" research project problem and the related plagiarism issues. Uses colored post-it notes to mark relationship between chosen book and classic..what is the SAME? She booktalks the contemporaries, but not the classics.
The reviews in Barnes & Noble are acceptable for part of the research about the pairings.

Samples:
Shattering Glass by Giles matches up with The Lord of Flies, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, A Separate Peace

After by Prose matches up with Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, To Kill a Mockingbird. Island of Dr. Moreau

The Raging Quiet by Jordan matches up with Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, Scarlet Letter, Color Purple

Truesight by Stahler (being blind in a sightless society) matches up with Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World

Responding to an audience question, Tunes for Bears to Dance To was taken off... the students could not get the significance and get a good classic match.

It's break time....humm, wonder that our treat is?

After a nice popcorn and Dr. P break, we had a business meeting...suffice it to say, it was business and it is done.

027.8 Librarian - Teacher Collaboration: Learning & Doing Together

Last week a group of librarians and teachers spent an intense week collaborating over lessons and infusing them with various types of educational technology. Elementary and secondary teams came together for a whirlwind tour of technologies, Web 2.0 services, and other online resources.

Beginners and advanced alike all learned something new to make lessons more student-centered and real-world relevant while using technology to make the delivery of instruction more inviting and the culminating activities different learning experiences for their students.

Subjects included Greek mythology, food groups and good eating habits, the water cycle, career exploration, famous Americans and their contributions, and good behavior habits. One way the group made sure the lessons were student-centered and true collaborations between librarian and teacher was to deconstruct the lesson by making lists of teacher, librarian and student responsibilities.

Everyone had opportunity to learn PowerPoint tips and tricks, how to create a Photo Story, how to work with videostreaming, how manipulate photos, how to add music, and create podcasts. A special presentation was made about the ActivBoard and all the great teaching and learning tools available with that special technology. There was lots of looking for the sign-up list to get one! The group learned how to create a rubric using Rubistar, an open source software available to all who want to use it.

Lots of work time was built into the week so that each team could present a good representation of their lesson to the whole group. Even during this time, there were exchanges of ideas and expressions of "O, I can do that too with mine" or " Gee, I can add that to my lesson." So much so, that the "final" lessons will not be posted for about another week so that all the good ideas can be incorporated and added.

Comments from participants include:
"...long set of ahas as we learned all these wonderful tools."
"Don't be scared or intimidated. You will have lots of help & learn way more than you expect."
"If [I] can learn this, anyone can!!"
"Wow! How much fun is my class going to have dazzling our school with our technology pwoness!"

"I really had to use problem-solving skils to make my powerpoint do what I wanted it to do. The normal rules just didn't apply..."

"Using hidden text releases a big headache because I can create a key and "hide" the answers."

"Flash drives are my new best friend." One participant, my friend G, also blogged her thoughts.

428.007 Grammar Quiz: Good Review

Can't help it. Grammar is a "thing" with me. I had a great teacher way back in 6th grade who either pounded it into my head (and I didn't feel the pain) or taught it so well, I didn't know I wasn't suppose to be enjoying it! She also shared her wealth of knowledge with me as my 8th grade English teacher as well.

Mrs. Crutchfield was a terrific teacher in many ways...and by the way, she ran the elementary school library. Our 6th grade classroom WAS the library. We sat at library tables. Her desk was a traditional high wooden check out desk. The shelves were along the sides and at the back of the room. I barely remember how other classes came in to get books. I know they did, but it didn't make much of an impression because we were so busy learning in our class.

Anyway, I digress. Grammar AND diagramming sentences were a big part of my school days. I remember diagramming sentences on the board in much the same way math problems were worked on. We had math races and we had diagramming races too! My freshman and senior English teacher Mrs. Briggs often gave us sentences so complicated that by the time we pulled them apart, they looked like chemistry formulas spread out over the board! It - was - F-U-N, and golly gee, we learned...or I guess I should not presume, I learned.

Knowing my grammar and how to take a sentence apart came in handy on many occasions in trying to figure out what I was reading and the gist of that reading. I tried to teach my students for years that if you know what a prepositional phrase is and remove them from the sentence you are trying to decode, there usually isn't much left to determine what the sentence is about. Think about that the next time you practice a TAKS question!

Anyway, to get to point of this post...I took this grammar test and made...

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Ta-da! And much of the credit goes to those two wonderful ladies...4 out 7 of my English secondary years were under their care and guidance...and believe me, it made the difference!

Take the quiz...it's fun! It will remind you of those pesky apostrophes and those there-their-they're dilemmas.

Now if I could find a way to explain my spelling issues...I think it is because I was not taught to read phonetically...whole word was my downfall...despite all my father's "night-school-at-home" sessions with that book Why Johnny Can't Read!

370 Teacher Resources: FREE ones!

I know we are all familiar with dot-gov sites like American Memory and Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids. As per usual, I was looking around for something totally different and came upon a nice site that brings many of these dot-gov resources together in one place.

Here is sample list of some of the topics covering a variety of subjects...science, health, geography, math, and on and on!

Oh, btw... FREE, yes indeed. F - R - E - E as in Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. Despite the many woes that are often discussed at length in the blog world, OUR government is on our side with these resources. You must admit that!